31/08/2025
Journey of Healing and Resilience
In 2007, I began a personal journey that would change my life. After being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, I underwent 8 months of intensive chemotherapy and then a bone marrow transplant.
I faced years of intensive medical treatments, setbacks and complications, heavy medications high doses of intensive therapies, and anti-rejection tablets.
The doctors said I would NEVER get off the medications, I was on them for life. I was grateful to be alive, I accepted it.
My German donor was not a good match; he was only 80% compatible. Which caused major complications, more high doses of medications and setbacks and complications.
It was a long road to recovery, with so many setbacks along the way. Too many to name, it feels surreal.
I was in constant pain. The pain was so intense, that I ended up in hospital several times by ambulance, even morphine didn’t help. Kidney stones, inflamed gallbladder.
I was on heavy pain killers.
The pain still persisted. The doctors eventually ran tests and found I had developed stomach ulcers. They started slowly weaning me off the anti-rejection tablets over the years.
Through the journey I discovered a profound truth. I learned the true meaning of resilience, patience and trusting the body and mind to heal. If we are committed to the process, our body and mind can recover in ways we might never imagine.
Resilience isn’t just about enduring, it is about trusting ourselves, having faith, hope and determination and knowing that HEALING is possible - even when the path is hard and challenging.
What my body once tried to reject it began to accept. Today my body functions on its own, without any medications – proof of its incredible strength and adaptability. Some may call it a medical marvel, but I see it as the essence of resilience and the human spirit.
This journey has shaped not only how I live my life, but how I guide others. As a Transformational Counsellor, I draw on both my lived experiences, and formal training to help empower clients to navigate life’s challenges, discover their inner strength and build resilience.
I know that even in life’s darkest storms and against insurmountable challenges, we can rise again, emerging from the ashes – stronger, wiser and freer than ever, even when the odds are stacked against us.
True transformation begins when the mind and body work together to heal, restore strength and balance. Even the impossible becomes possible.
My book Stronger, You Can Overcome and Bounce Back from Adversity captures the lessons I’ve learned and the steps you can take to heal from the inside out. That healing is possible for anyone willing to take the first step. If I can do it, so can you.
